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Hopeless... - June & July LSAT 2018
Another Day
Member
Hello all, I'm new to 7sage, still in the free account (unfortunately, found out about 7sage after signing up for another in-person class $1400).
I officially started studying and classes mid-April, and didn't realize at the time that I would not be prepared for the June test.
My diagnostic came out to be 149. I study every day, at minimum 6 hours (which includes 3 PTs a week, reviewing, drills, homework from class, etc.) and some times up to 10 hours. I have no other commitments, I just separated from the military and going to Georgetown has always been my dream. At this point, realistically speaking, I'm so devastated my score is STILL stuck at the same place as I started about a month ago. I bought all of the PTs already and I have a lot of the conceptual knowledge down, but it's still not working out. One improvement, I guess, is that I can get through most of the questions (not correctly, but...) under a proctored PT, just leaving about 2-3 questions per section (still bad...), compared to leaving 6 questions or so in the beginning.
Is it even realistic that I can improve at minimum 10 points in the next two months? I know June will be a disaster, but hopefully "trying it out" will make me less anxious for the July exam.
I have my mind set pretty firm on July being the last exam because I want to apply ED for Georgetown.
My LSAC GPA is 3.72, and I am not URM. Do I even have chances of getting in with this low of an LSAT score?
*If anyone has any advice on getting into Georgetown or rather, how I should approach the school, I will most gladly take it.
What can I do to improve, what is my problem? Am I not studying smart?
I've already realized that I did not set up a realistic goal in the first place with an unrealistic time frame, so please help me out what I CAN do, rather that what I failed to set up or take into account.
This post is not saying that I am giving up, but I need to navigate to the right way in chances of doing whatever I can to increase my scores. This is a side note, but since I already have the PTs, should I still purchase 7sage?
I will really appreciate some feedback! Thank you for listening to my sadness...
Comments
Good morning, I would say that where you are today: 3.7/149 would put your chances of admission at Georgetown near zero. Nonetheless, you can improve and you have made improvement so far.
LSAT improvement broadly falls into two categories:
conceptual/technical improvement: recognizing flaws, knowing valid and invalid argument forms, confidence in parsing difficult grammar, knowledge of causal arguments etc
and
implementation of that knowledge via test taking strategies.
A problem can occur in either of these two categories.
With that in mind, here are a few suggestions:
3 PTs a week is a bit too much for me personally, I stick to 1 per week with thorough review. Remember, even the "easier" questions on PTs can teach us lessons.
To get the best view of where your problems may reside, I would ask you to break down a question for me, from question stem, to grammar, to any assumptions to specific reasons to eliminate each answer choice. I would ask you to do this to see where potential weaknesses might be coming from. Feel free to message me or discuss here if comfortable. PT 56-3-16 would be what I would ask about.
Best,
David
No need to be frustrated or worried, you still have plenty of time to improve!
I don't know which course you signed up for or anything, but it is important to note that everyone studies differently. It could be that live courses aren't for you (they certainly weren't for me) and that you prefer self-studying through books or videos online. Either way, if you're doing all those PTs and not improving, it simply means you need to discover your weaknesses and work on fixing them.
I highly recommend giving 7Sage a shot (you're here after all!), especially the Core Curriculum. Take notes, focus on the content, and make the LSAT your life. Georgetown is your dream and LSAT is the link to that dream. You can do it!
I'm having a similar problem AnxietybyDeath. Just yesterday I decided to withdraw my registration for the June exam because there is no way I'll be ready. I'm applying for early decision at my university of choice as well and I can take the September exam and still get my score in time. Maybe take a second look at the ED deadlines for Georgetown and see if you can take the September exam. You should definitely purchase the basic package here on 7sage. The core curriculum here is invaluable: it is the only thing that has enabled me to improve my accuracy.
Sorry, I don't know how to reply to each comment separately, first, thank you all for replying. Here are some of my questions from the comments compiled:
1. I'm definitely thinking trying out 7sage would be a good idea. Now, my class ends on 6/9, should I wait until then to start 7sage so I don't get confused in between, in terms of methods, and such?
Do you think purchasing Starters pack would be enough? Since I already have all of the PTs.
The deadline for last year's Georgetown ED application was Feb 1, but it opened up Sept 15. I was hoping to submit my completed application on the first day because I know I'm not as competitive as those with 170+ LSAT and 3.8+ GPA.
My plan (I really like to plan out my track when doing anything) was to finish up LSAT by July, do my personal statement, review resume, complete applications by the end of August (already have transcripts and LOR pending), and submit applications in September on the first day of all law schools that I am applying to.
I think I'm having issues thinking that I may have to break this plan. I just never knew my score would be so low until I took the diagnostic.
You might be done for my friend
@16st51
Don't bring that negativity here. My diagnostic was a 148. My last PT was a 171. This community is full of success stories which started out just like AnxietybyDeath in part because of the pragmatically supportive ethos at 7Sage.
And if you ever find yourself in a moment of doubt, confusion, or angst along your LSAT journey, I guarantee this community will be here for you too.
Please let us all know if I've misinterpreted your comment.
First of all, I think you should be aiming to take the LSAT in September. While it's noble that you want your applications in as early as possible, applying in October would be basically the same as applying on September 15. And you would be much better off having an additional few months to study. You really need to get the LSAT score up, and you need to give yourself the best chance at doing it. I don't think it's likely that you'll be ready in June or maybe even July, but by September you could have a solid shot.
I also think you should do the Starter course. That's what I used to study for the most part, because like you, I had already purchased most of the tests. You will get the entire core curriculum, you just get access to fewer question explanations and drill packs. Those are super valuable, but you've already forked over a lot of money. I think it's reasonable to begin with Starter and then if you want to upgrade later on, you can.
I can't really make the decision for you on when to start 7sage. It might be better to finish your class and then sign up. Who are you taking the test through? Kaplan? For the most part, I think the in-person classes are not as good because you can't individualize it and focus on what your needs are. Online classes let you set your own pace and focus on areas that need improvement. And we're maybe a little biased because we're on the 7sage site here and most of us love it, but I really think the curriculum is fantastic. We've seen a lot of people here go from your score into the 160s and 170s, given enough time and dedication.
@NotMyName
If you don't mind me asking, how long did that take you, and did you solely use 7sage for that progress? Your scores sound amazing, and like a dream to me at this point.
@"Leah M B"
Thank you for your words of wisdom! It's actually very encouraging. I am leaning more towards July and September now. Originally thinking about the change, it made me feel like the end of the world that I wouldn't be able to finish up LSAT in July. But, if there's really no difference in September or October for ED, I might as well as take September LSAT.
@AnxietybyDeath Another option actually, is you could apply on the day that it opens and the school will see you have a pending LSAT. Most schools will hold your application automatically until the score is released. If you want them to do that, you could also e-mail admissions to clarify that you will be taking (or by that point, already will have taken) the September exam and you would like your application to be held until that score is released. That way, they'll be ready to go as soon as the score is available.
So the good news is you definetly can improve. The bad news is that unfortunately, success on the lsat success doesn't adhere to any timelines. When I first started, my diagnostic was a 144 and after quickly going through the trainer I went up by 10 points. I've heard other...lsat methodologies suggest that most people don't improve by more than 10 points. However, that's not the ethos at 7sage. You can improve and probably will reach your goal score. It's just a matter of how long it takes. By the way, what exactly is your goal score? 160?
I'd suggest going through the curriculum at 7sage, it's really the most comprehensive out of others that I've tried. That will give you a good idea of exactly how much you do understand fundamentally and what you don't. The LSAT is a new way of thinking and that takes time to implement. Think of it as learning a new language, you're not going to be as fluent in it as a native speaker despite having crammed for a month. I started off with the starter but upgraded to ultimate+ after a month or so because I felt that for me, that would give me the best chance possible. The stuff covered in the lessons is the same, you just get more access to more problem sets.
I would also suggest that you're doing too much. 10 hours in a day is a lot. I'm also studying full-time and I think my maximum is generally 6 hours. After that, my brain starts to shut down and I know any studying I do afterwards won't be productive. 3 PT's in a week is also a lot - PT is just a benchmark to measure, not where the real learning happens.
I know applications and their own timeline is stressful, but what you get on your LSAT is something you can still control.
You're doing fine. This test is frustrating. I've never had to put so much work into learning a test. Tests have always been a breeze to me. So, it can become near enraging when you don't progress on this after a few weeks. It's completely normal.
If Georgetown is your dream, then waiting till next cycle to make it happen isn't that huge of a loss, is it? If a minor delay isn't a dream killer, then no worries. Take June, see where you are, and use more time to make an attack. I would suggest maybe switching your July to September, though. More time to study and improve. You wont have much time at all between June and July, and September's test wont set you back in applying. I'll probably wind up taking September or delaying altogether until next year for my second run, depending on how June turns out.
As of just now, I withdrew from the June exam and signed up for September. Thank you all for the encouragement. I am planning to buy the 7sage course (I'm still deciding which one) to study up to September.
@"Leah M B"
Actually, I think that's exactly what I'll do. Thanks for the advice, really.
@keets993
My goal, before starting this whole journey, was a 167, which is Georgetown's median. That's why I think I had a mental breakdown when my score wouldn't go up. Like you said, I think I will go ahead and start 7sage. I'll try to even out my studying time. I think I crammed a lot into a small time frame because of that June exam.
@AudaciousRed
Thanks for your advice. I guess I needed some advice from others to say that it's okay to take the September exam.
@NotMyName
I don't mind at all.
I started studying in September of 2016 and scored a 159 on the December 2016 administration. During that time I used the LSAT Trainer, LSAT Hacks, and BluePrint. But I was really unsatisfied with that score so i decided to postpone a cycle and took a month off before restarting with 7Sage exclusively. In November of 2017, I started working with a tutor to focus on LR and RC. At that time I was scoring between 161 and 167; my tutor and I agreed that 170+ was in my reach but not for that cycle. So I postponed again. I've been taking 1 PT every 10 days since I began working with the tutor and I'm consistently in upper 160s to low 170s.
As my range of scores continued to shrink, so grew my average and I'm feeling very good about finally taking the test this summer. It's been a loooong and difficult journey -- and it's not over yet. I found a lot of motivation in some of the webinars offered heres especially AccountsPlayable https://7sage.com/webinar/davids-six-tips-on-doing-it-right/
@NotMyName
Wow, that is amazing, with a lot of effort, as well.
I wish you the best of luck, and hopefully, I can get up there with you.
@AnxietybyDeath Thank you!
It's very likely that you can improve your score, but no one (including you at this point) can say what your **ceiling is or how long it will take you to get there. It's also very likely that you don't fully understand your weaknesses on this test.
As a first step, I'd highly recommend taking BinghamtonDave up on his offer to review a question analysis of yours. He's brilliant when it comes to LSAT. Secondly, if your set on GT then you need to postpone your apps. Third, I suggest you start working through the 7Sage curriculum exclusively. There's no other prep service that offers what 7Sage does and that's a community of knowledge. No matter how smart the creators of any other service are or how highly a given instructor has scored, they can't match the collective knowledge and support you'll find at 7Sage.
I started at a diagnostic of 152 and I am currently PTing at an average of about a 170. Score increased definitely can happen. Don’t be discouraged. You just have to trust the process, be willing to put the time in, and delay if possible if you’re not at the score that you’d like.
One suggestion that I would offer that I haven’t seen so far is to stop taking PTs for now. At 3 a week, it sounds like you’re burning through a lot of them. It would be a shame if you didn’t have any clean tests to use once you go through more curriculum. I’d suggest purchasing 7Sage and going through the syllabus as much as possible before taking another test. That way you can have real, clean diagnostics when you have more knowledge under your belt. Good luck! This test is possible to learn and improve on. Don’t listen to anything else!
@Cofife88 : Absolutely. If you're now on September @AnxietybyDeath , forgo any more PT's until you work through the course material. They aren't going to help you much right now. There is a finite number of them. My PT practice is 1 a week right now, and I plan on NOT doing one the week of the test. If my June scores are not great, I plan on hitting the course again and fool proofing. Also, hitting the webinars quite a bit more.
To all, I'm having trouble deciding between Ultimate+, Ultimate, and Premium because I have already bought PTs from 1-74, A, B, and C. Should I just go ahead and spend a couple more hundreds on the Ultimate+ or just stick to one of the middle two?
I am planning to start 7sage tomorrow to work up till September's exam! Thank you. I kept July, just to use it as a "practice exam" after a couple months of studying.
@BinghamtonDave
Thank you for your reach out! I actually didn't understand what I needed to do until I read further comments. I will test out 7sage and try your suggestions as well.
@Cofife88
If you don't mind me asking, I'd like to ask you as well, how long that improvement took? I'm starting to believe that improvements for 10-20 points usually take about a solid year or so? (In my circumstances, I don't think I am able to afford a whole year of studying, unfortunately, so I'm at another dilemma). I am going to study the best I can, and go from there.
I personally went for the Ultimate+ so that I could get test explanations on every test, especially on the most recent ones. I think it really all comes down to your financial situation. If you can afford the Ultimate+, I'd say that you should go for it. If not, just start with a lower package and upgrade if you feel that you need more material.
Honestly, I have been incredibly lucky with my study and improvement. I began studying in June 2017, but I only got a month of self-study in until a full-time workload and school load took over every second of my time. I began studying again with 7Sage at the beginning of April this year and have seen some major improvements in my score. The blind review method has just worked really well for me and I saw massive improvements in short amount of time once I figured out the test's timing. I'd say that it is important to just put in as much effort as you can (quality studying over quantity every time) and keep track of your progress. Use the CC and blind review to really find your weak points and focus on those one at a time until you hit a satisfactory score.